


Building Bricks

by Beccorsola



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/M, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beccorsola/pseuds/Beccorsola
Summary: “Self preservation? Lavender uses you to help her when she can’t deal with the situation anymore?”“Yes.”“So that’s why I have to be careful?”Hermione, with assistance from Draco, begins the process of taming the recently caught and feral Lavender.*Part of a series [un-named]*
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown/Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown/Hermione Granger
Kudos: 6





	Building Bricks

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another of my older stories left incomplete until I got the sudden urge to finish it off today. 
> 
> Part of the alternate universe that Savage, Finding Lavender + The Bed takes place in. Building Bricks comes shortly after Hermione and Draco find Lavender in Savage/Finding Lavender.
> 
> I'm still pretty new to this as writing is a hobby for when the mood strikes, so please do let me know if I'm missing any tags I need to add. The stories are so intimate to me that I forget others don't know my new trio the way I do!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this read x

* * *

To: H.J.G

Subject: L.B

The _Council_ grants permission for Ms. L.B to remain with Ms. H.J.G and Mr. D.M granted she undergoes treatment to become Acceptable to Society. Regarding Mr. D.M’s additional note, the _Council_ grants and extends downtime to 3 months only. The _Council_ requires updates every 2 weeks, and have a Removals Team on backup should it be necessary. You will receive further information on the next Mission in 3 months. No replies needed. Usual codes apply.

Other: I wish you the best of luck, Hermione. Do not hesitate to contact us ASAP if Ms. L.B places you in danger.

K.S

* * *

Rereading the memo one last time, Hermione carefully placed it on the sturdy table before uttering the code the letter referenced to, triggering a spell that incinerated the paper to ashes. It was then she looked up to Draco, the pale man standing by the newly added quarters they’d arranged for Lavender, and he gave a short nod to her silent question.

“She’s still sleeping. Will be for a while.”

“That’s good. It’ll take some time, her body’s worse than I expected.”

“Hmm.”

Hermione patted the table, indicating for Draco to join her, and with one last look through the curtain, he crossed the room to sit opposite the brunette. He didn’t say anything, but the look he spared the ashes spoke volumes.

“We’ve got three months. I’m required to update them fortnightly and I’m to let them know immediately if she doesn’t.. They’ve got a team set up for extradition, ready to move on a moment’s notice.”

“Hmm.”

“Malfoy.. We are right to do this, aren’t we?”

Draco sighed, raking his bony fingers through his silver blonde hair as he glanced up straight at her, meeting her eyes.

“We’ve all got our crosses to bear. She’s one of mine.”

Something flickered within his grey eyes, and Hermione reached out but he pulled back with a shake of his head. So she bit her lips instead, frustrated even as she understood his resistance, and clasped her hands together instead. He watched her contain herself, and though he didn’t like to admit it, he appreciated that quality in her. So he made amends in one of the ways he felt comfortable to.

“Granger, you especially need to be careful around her.”

“Any special reason?”

“She looks at you with hunger, and if given a chance, she’d make you _their Prey_.”

Hermione leaned back and frowned, thinking over his phrasing and what he didn’t say.

“You just referred to Lavender as separate entities.”

“Hmm.”

“You can’t skimp on the details for this, Malfoy. Especially not if it involves my life.”

“I can only tell you what _we_ can pick up.”

“Well, go on.”

“I know you get the concept of Lycanthropy, but do you know about how _we_ actually work?”

Hermione didn’t have a response because she had to admit she didn’t fully understand. Even after knowing Remus, living with Draco, they were secretive with their inner workings and she’d never quite managed to get inside. And Draco knew it, yet he still snorted.

“We’re all different, just like you’re different to your peers. What we went through, how we got through it, it changed us. The essence of our souls aren’t the same anymore, and our relationships with ourselves and our Wolves differ based on that. Think about it. Look at me. Am I the same as Greyback? Lupin?”

“No. No, you’re right. Remus never seemed to sit right, and he didn’t accept his Wolf. I got the impression he fought within himself all the time. Whereas with Greyback, he embraced his Wolf, didn’t he? He came off more a Lycanthrope than a human. And you.. Well, you coexist with yours, don’t you?”

“Yes. _We’re_ not friends, but _we_ share an arrangement that works for us, and I know _he_ has my back.”

“And Lavender?”

“From what _he’s_ been able to pick up, Lavender’s Wolf protects her and they share, in ways I don’t.”

“Share, how?”

“Sometimes it’s Lavender in her body and other times.. It’s not. That’s why she’s unpredictable and you need to be careful. And I’m not sure it’s completely her Wolf you need to watch, but Lavender herself. She’s lost a good part of her humanity.”

“We did know there was a chance, especially with the disappearances we found on her trail, but.. Tell me this, and be honest. Is there enough left of her?”

He didn’t reply immediately, his head turning to face the curtains where Lavender lay sedated, recovering from her wounds. Then he closed his eyes, and when he finally spoke, his voice was so low she had to strain to hear him.

“ _We_ think she’s redeemable.”

She nodded, relieved more than anything, and waited for Draco to look at her before she made her promise to him.

“I’ll be careful.”

* * *

Lavender hadn’t woken yet from her heavy sedation, her body still under the effects of medical spells to fix the arm Draco had broken during their fight as well as her infected scars. They had festered over four months, digging deep, and neither Hermione nor Draco’s magic were advanced enough to make it quick. So she was under a light coma to give her body time to focus on repairing itself. Hermione was hoping that all their efforts would be enough to have her awake and ready for the full moon only five days away, but it was an unpredictable practice. They’d know when they know.

In the end, it took an extra three days before Lavender woke up, crackling with suspicion and irritability, and in unspoken and mutual agreement, Hermione made sure she didn’t step out of Draco’s sightline and Draco made sure he was always within touching distance of the witch. But that didn’t stop the female werewolf lashing out, which she did regularly with any opportunity she saw, and Hermione was forced to seal Lavender into her quarters upon Draco’s firm insistence.

* * *

The day of the full moon arrived, and the morning saw the brunette witch sitting at the kitchen table, her male companion restlessly pacing the room. In her secured quarters, Lavender did the same – the two werewolves impatiently awaiting the moment they’d be set free of their human bodies. Until then, Hermione was more preoccupied with the papers of spells she held at her hands, and she glanced up as Draco paced her once again.

“I’m fairly certain I’ve got the grasp of the outer boundary limit.”

“Hm.”

“Only thing is, it would block you from leaving as well. I can’t differentiate between you and Lavender.”

“Hmm.”

“So.. Would you like to stop your incessant, and frankly irritating, skulking about and come look at this?”

The blond man spared her a withering sneer as he resumed his stalking, clenching and unclenching his fingers as he listened to Lavender devastating the belongings of her quarters in frustration. Hermione, used to the mood swings, simply sat and waited, trying not to let the tense mood get to her. Quite a few minutes passed before the wizard dropped himself down heavily on the bench and snatched the papers from her.

“Dual spells?”

“Not quite. The outer boundary is an extension of the protective barrier that’ll be placed on the tent, but it’ll last longer. Roughly 24 hours, but since this is the first time I’m casting it, we’ll only find out for sure after the moon passes.”

“How expansive is the boundary spell?”

“If you tell me what your Wolf would be satisfied with, I’ll see if I can work that in.”

Draco looked at her then, wary speculation in his eyes, before he gave a slight nod, his voice low.

“ _He_ appreciates that. _H_ e says he can deal with between 20 to 35 square miles. Doable?”

“Actually, yes, thank you. I’ll just..”

The witch ignored Draco, muttering under her breath as she brought back her papers and surveyed them, making corrections to the algorithm she’d put together. He made to get up, but the witch made an ‘ah ah’ sound and indicated with an index finger to wait, and he scowled, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

“Okay, I’m done. The full moon should begin to take effect around.. 1 to 1.30 this afternoon, so I’ll begin casting the spell during that period so it’ll be more successfully bound. It won’t officially begin until your changeovers start so to be safe, we’ll have you and Lavender out earlier than we usually go for. So about 11pm, give or take. Would you two be able to keep an eye on her?”

“ _He_ acknowledges your request.”

“Got it.”

* * *

Lavender ran, barefoot and naked, through the forest, laughing with wild abandon at the impending sense of freedom. _Her_ time was coming, and _they_ couldn’t wait, having felt unbearably shackled due to the past days of imprisonment. A flash of blonde caught her attention, and she watched as Draco matched her pace. She tried to evade him, but she was no match, and he shoved her up against a tree. When she bared her teeth, he only responded with a snarl.

“Don’t be stupid tonight.”

“Fuck you!”

Draco narrowed his eyes at Lavender, the girl brimming with raw savagery, and _he_ was whispering to him that _he, they_ should dominate _hers._ And she spat at him, clawing her jagged nails into his arms, making him hiss in pain so he slammed her against the tree again. Her eyes flashed a wolfish amber as Draco pressed his nude body against hers, his teeth bared, and she snapped at him, rebellious. When he snapped back, nicking her jaw, Lavender managed to shove her hands under his chin and pushed upward harshly, forcing him to take a step backward and she took advantage of the space. Shoving, clawing, biting at him, she found herself freed and she took off. But she didn’t make it far, because _She_ was clawing at her from inside out, it was _time_ and _She_ wanted out _now, now, now; ‘Lavender close your eyes!’_ And Lavender stumbled with a groan, bracing herself against the ground as she quickly shut her eyes, preparing to let _Her_ through.

And then _She_ had control, Lavender’s body having painfully and forcefully been dismantled and remade into _Her_ body. _She_ stood up from the ground, _her_ honey fur ruffling slightly in the pale breeze, and inhaled deeply. And then Lavender was waking up within _her,_ and _they_ greeted each other lovingly before _She_ began to run, whooping in exhilaration. _She_ could _smell, feel, taste_ in the air a multiple sources of little _Preys_ , and though they weren’t _Human_ -quality, _They_ were bone-deep hungry enough. _A deer!_ Turning sharply, nimbly, _She_ began to track their new target and _they_ were so close, _She_ was already salivating _until-!_ With a wounded yelp, _She_ lifted her paw and met with an invisible resistance that sparked as _they_ tried to push through. Lavender shouted inside _her_ , incandescent with fury, and in frustration, _She_ hammered against the magical barrier that prevented _them_ from leaving. _The Witch’s doing._ Lavender grumbled, demanding that _they_ go to her, dispose of her, set _themselves_ free. ‘ _There is no point tonight, my darling Savage. The Human is clever enough to lock Us in, she will not have forgotten to also lock Us out.’_ Lavender quietened, unsatisfied. But then _She_ caught a fresher scent, not that of _Prey_. So _She_ suddenly crouched down onto all fours, _her_ hackles raised and _she_ was instinctively wary, quiet, watchful. When Lavender tried to speak, _She_ shushed her and murmured to _her_ other half; ‘ _He is much more worthy to play with. So dangerous, Lavender, so exciting!’_ And despite herself, Lavender laughed and _their_ eyes gleamed.

Draco’s Wolf growled quietly, _his_ lithe silver-furred form slipping almost soundlessly through the trees as _he_ kept a certain distance from the foreign female Wolf _he_ knew _he_ had to share _his_ territory with. _He_ knew the moment _She_ touched the barrier, the crackle of magic sparking in the air and making _his_ fur raise uncomfortably. And _he_ knew the moment _She_ noticed _him_ and _his_ scent, and _he_ informed his other half. Draco simply shrugged, but couldn’t hide his irritation from _him_. _Miss wants Us to watch over Her._ Hmm. _She wants to Hunt, and there are no Prey inside. Only Us._ Just don’t kill _them_ , and don’t let _us_ die. _Understood. They_ ’ll most likely try to hurt _us_. I did break _their_ arm, and _they_ ’re already displeased with us. _I know._ Do what _you_ want. No deaths. _No deaths_.

As Draco slipped back, the male Wolf simply dropped to all fours and closed _his_ eyes, _his_ senses open. _His_ head turned into the weak breeze until _he_ pinpointed exactly where the female Wolf was. Like _him_ , _She_ was unmoving and _he_ realised they were at a standstill. While _She_ was hungrier, _he_ was stronger and _She_ wasn’t a complete fool. _They_ had managed to evade them for months after all. So _he_ opened _his_ jaw and howled from deep within, a clear message. _Come here. She_ responded with _her_ own sharper howl, and _his_ hackles raised. _You come here!_ _He_ barked _his_ displeasure and began to move, though not towards the she-Wolf. Instead, _he_ circled around, keeping _his_ eyes and ears open to track _her_. _She_ didn’t keep _him_ waiting long, barking back with equal displeasure and building frustration, and _She_ began to run. So _he_ stopped, bracing _his_ body.

And then _She_ was there, _her_ body bristling with aggression as _She_ stalked through the trees. Baring _his_ teeth, _he_ snarled and stood _his_ body to its full length. _Back down, she-Wolf. Her_ reaction was immediate, _her_ teeth exposed as _She_ also stood _her_ body up. _She_ wasn’t as tall or broad as _he,_ but _her_ body language matched _his. No, I won’t._

_She_ made the first move as _their_ amber eyes met for just an instant, and _he_ met her, unwilling to allow _her_ the advantage. _Their_ honey and silver fur blurred, intermixing as _they_ clashed, snarled and hissed. _He_ slammed the female Wolf onto _her_ back, but _she_ was more wild and _she_ clamped her teeth into _his_ thigh, deep enough that _he_ faltered. Then _she_ was kicking, _her_ sharp claws slashing _his_ stomach and _she_ crowed triumphantly as the coppery tint of blood filled the air. _He_ hissed as _he_ leapt backward quickly, the female Wolf following after _him. She_ thought _she_ had the top hand, so _he_ threw _himself_ against her, sheer force causing _her_ to stumble and _he_ wrapped _his_ claws around the arm _he_ knew had just been freshly healed. And _he_ broke it again, just like Draco had. _She_ wailed then, yanking _her_ foreleg away and _she_ ran. And _he_ followed, easily catching up, and _she_ snapped at him as _he_ grabbed her before _she_ found herself on her back once again, the silver Wolf pinning _her_ down. _Her_ eyes flashed and _she_ growled, gnashing _her_ teeth at him but _he_ merely exposed _his_ own teeth in response. _Back down! You won’t win this, she-Wolf. She_ hissed back, furious with pain. _I’d rather die. I’d rather YOU die!_

_He_ narrowed _his_ eyes at _her, his_ eyes flashing a warning before they trailed down to _her_ neck, _her_ shoulder, _her_ chest. And _she_ stiffened, instinctively understanding, so _she_ lashed out. Bucking _her_ hips up, _she_ managed to knock _him_ off balance just enough that _she_ could attack. Swinging _her_ uninjured foreleg, _she_ shoved _him_ off and as _he_ slipped, _she_ clamped _her_ teeth around _his_ neck. _His_ throat constricted within _her_ mouth, blood pooling as _she_ tightened down and _he_ managed a hoarse rasp of surprise. Fighting the rising shocked panic, _he_ slashed his talons at his attacker, ripping _her_ fur as _he_ managed to find _her_ broken foreleg and _he_ dug his claws in, shattering the bones even further. _She_ finally released his throat, screaming as _she_ fought _him_ , trying and failing to get _him_ to release her mangled arm. _He_ tightened his grip instead, and _she_ moaned, eyes rolling back in pain and fear. Catching the expression, _her_ unintentional submission, _he_ let go and _she_ curled up into a foetal position, whining. To further ensure _his_ dominance, for tonight at least, _he_ bent over _her_ and bit down on the exposed flesh between her neck and shoulder. And _she_ shuddered as _she_ closed her eyes. _She_ knew _she_ ’d been bested and as _his_ teeth roughly tightened without breaking skin, _her_ body automatically relented and submitted to the stronger Wolf.

_I told you You wouldn’t win._

* * *

The following morning, Hermione didn’t say anything as she watched Draco force Lavender through the entrance into the tent, the female werewolf hissing at the other with open hostility. Though they’d dressed themselves with the lounge wear she’d set asides for them, she could see they were visibly injured and Draco wouldn’t meet her eyes. So she gestured for them to seat themselves at the bench by the table as she summoned her well stocked medical kit. Lavender attempted to lunge at her instead, but found herself forcibly frozen at the end of the witch’s wand, and Hermione magically levitated her into the bench. When Draco stayed where he was, she raised an eyebrow impatiently.

“I won’t force the matter, Malfoy, but I do need to check you both over. Neither of your Wolves were quiet last night, and I know what pain sounds like.”

Giving a small curt nod, Draco moved from the entrance to the bench besides Lavender, ignoring her seething look. Hermione muttered a freezing charm over the girl, keeping her immobile so she could assess her safely. The first thing she noticed was the state of Lavender’s arm, and she couldn’t help but look at Draco with a frown. The pale man winced, and when Hermione opened her mouth, he shook his head carefully and gestured to his throat. With a nod, Hermione turned her attention back to the girl in front of her and pointing her wand at the broken arm, she murmured _Brackium_ _Emendo_ and followed that up with a _Ferula_ , combining the two healing spells to increase the potency and pain relief. Noticing the raw redness of a new bite indentation on her shoulder, Hermione added in a _Episkey_ to heal the minor injury before smoothing Dittany over her broken skin, and finished off with _Tergio_ to quickly clean her up. Satisfied that Lavender didn’t need any further attention while her arm was undergoing healing, Hermione left her side, keeping her stuck and quiet under the charm.

Kneeling in front of Draco, Hermione gently lifted his chin and inspected the bloodied and inflamed wound that covered his throat. She couldn’t help it, she winced audibly in sympathy and he scowled at her.

“Malfoy, would you stop with that attitude? It’s a nasty one. I think it’s broken. She wasn’t messing around, was she?”

Draco relented with a hoarse sigh, giving his head a slight shake. Hermione casted _Anapneo_ to clear his airway -just to be safe- before following that up with _Brackium Emendo._ Draco coughed, his face distorted with discomfort as he cleared his throat. When she asked if he was hurt elsewhere, Draco stood and pushed down his sweatpants, gesturing to a deep bite on his thigh. A muttered _Episkey_ healed that up in no time, so he also pulled up his shirt, revealing deep bloody jagged tears over his abdomen. Hermione winced once again, and crooked her eyes sideways toward a reticent Lavender. Another _Episkey_ did the job, and she smoothed the Dittany over his thigh, stomach and forearm to minimalize scarring before cleaning him up with a quick _Tergio._ When he sat back down heavily, Hermione knelt before him and softly placed her hand on his leg, waiting for the man to look at her. When he finally met her eyes, she saw the unease in him and she was gentle and quiet when she spoke.

“Malfoy, I’d like to think that by now, I know you and your Wolf well. We knew that Lavender’s Wolf would be feral, and honestly, it was inevitable that you’d all get hurt. Yes, the arm thing is messed up, especially as your Wolf knows we’d only just recently finished healing it. But I know neither of you would have caused pain unnecessarily, and all I had asked for was that you’d keep an eye out. She’s here, and she’ll be okay. You’re okay.”

“ _He_ says _he_ managed to force _her_ submission through breaking _her_ arm, and that _she_ almost succeeded in ripping _our_ throat out. _He_ isn’t sorry because I told _him_ to make sure _we_ didn’t die.”

“Then you shouldn’t be too sorry either.”

“Hmm.”

“Okay. Breakfast’ll be ready soon.”

* * *

The week following the full moon was a week of uneasiness, but Hermione still sent away her fortnightly memo to ensure Lavender’s protection. The female werewolf hadn’t touched her, thanks to Draco keeping close company, and Hermione kept her wand on her at all times. She could ignore the looks, the bloodthirsty grumbling, the half-movements towards her. But there was one thing she struggled to ignore. It took another week of persuasion, persistence and conviction before Hermione got her own way.

And that was how the newly formed trio found themselves having a bath together. Hermione _Transfigured_ a simple washing basin into a tub large enough to fit the three of them, and both she and Draco had managed to force Lavender into the hot soapy water. After some thrashing, cursing and both generalised and specific raging, Lavender stilled enough for the other two to slip in. Draco hissed when he slid his nude body behind Lavender, his fingers curling around the back of her neck in warning when she growled. And when her eyes flashed at the sight of Hermione’s naked body, he mouthed her shoulder – his teeth a reminder of their hierarchy, and Lavender restrained herself as Hermione sat in front of her, facing her.

When Draco curved his bony fingers around Lavender’s arms, effectively trapping her in place, Hermione gently pressed a damp face cloth against her chest and began to scrub at the layered dirt and mud. She ignored Lavender’s hard looks, snarls and flinches but she didn’t ignore the way her face would go blank at intervals or how her eyes would occasionally flash amber. When her eyes met Draco’s, he shrugged slightly in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything further so Hermione simply continued. The room was quiet outside Lavender’s uttered frustrations and Hermione’s murmured spells to freshen the water. She almost relaxed, until her fingers brushed over Lavender’s sharp ribs and felt the scabbed edges of the first bite she’d received.

Lavender stiffened under her touch, and when Hermione looked up quickly, she found the werewolf’s expression blank and eyes closed. Until she opened them, and they were pure amber. Before either Hermione or Draco could react, Lavender yanked her arms free and pinned the witch back against the tub, her teeth exposed in a sneer. As the bathwater splashed violently, Draco growled and grabbed at Lavender. Their bodies writhed and slipped in the deep tub as Lavender fought against Draco, refusing to ease the pressure against Hermione as the witch struggled to remove the hand pressed against her mouth. Until finally, Draco snapped Lavender’s matted hair backward, forcing her body away from Hermione and against his. Hermione grabbed a big gulp of air as Lavender snarled, slapping at the other werewolf as he wrapped his arms across her chest, pinning her in place. Having caught her breath, Hermione leant over the edge of the tub and reached to grab her wand. When her fingers made contact, Lavender surprised them both.

“ _Wait!”_

Hermione snapped her head towards Lavender, her eyes narrowed in speculation. She kept her fingers on her wand, wary at the change in the female werewolf, and her eyes met Draco’s, his eyebrow raised in mirrored surprise. After a moment, his lips flattened into a thin line and he shook his head once at Hermione.

“Why should I?”

The werewolf huffed, her lips curling up and her teeth baring. Draco tightened his arms and leaned his head down, nipping at her throat in quiet warning. A flash of something feral crossed Lavender’s face before she glanced down, averting her eyes.

“Lavender?”

“ _Lavender’s not here. She didn’t like You touching her There.”_

Hermione moved her hand away from her wand, though she kept it within reaching distance just in case. When Draco frowned at her, she shook her head.

“Okay. I’m sorry about that, then. Why- How are you here?”

“ _I look after Lavender.”_

“What does that mean?”

“ _It means I keep her safe, Witch!”_

Hissing, the werewolf tried to lunge at Hermione once again but Draco was prepared this time and his grip too tight. He let out a quick bark of annoyance as she kicked out, making Hermione grunt as she managed to evade the movement and she quickly held down Lavender’s legs.

“Granger..”

“ _Listen! Lavender doesn’t like You and She doesn’t trust You. So when You touched Her there, I had to protect my Sister.”_

“Self preservation? Lavender uses _you_ to help her when she can’t deal with the situation anymore?”

“ _Yes.”_

“So that’s why I have to be careful?”

“ _Yes. I have told Lavender I do not think You want to hurt Her, but You are the Past and She doesn’t want to go back. So I will hurt You for Her.”_

Draco snapped, even as Hermione was lifting a hand towards him.

“ _You_ can try. _I’m_ always going to be here, and _we_ won’t let either of _you_.”

“ _Your Wolf is hidden while I’m not, so good luck. You might have won but I’m not letting either of You be my Alpha.”_

Tightening his arms around the female, Draco growled in displeasure when she gnashed her teeth back in response. As he opened his mouth to speak, Hermione caught his eye as her wavering hand changed direction towards Lavender’s body. The female werewolf tensed with a low warning growl just before the witch made physical contact, and Hermione stopped herself, her eyebrows knitting together as she pursed her lips. When she spoke, however, her voice was calm and thoughtful.

“I don’t need to be your _Alpha_.”

Despite the rude snort that came in response, the witch continued.

“I’m not messing with you. I’m fully aware that as a human, I don’t have the right to take that position in either of your lycanthrope world.”

Hermione paused as she noticed the female werewolf in front of her cocked her head- in confusion or in thought, she couldn’t tell. But Draco's frown lightened slightly as he side-eyed the blonde, and though his arms were still firm around Lavender’s chest, the muscles in his shoulders loosened slightly as he carefully pressed his open mouth onto the werewolf’s shoulder. When Lavender’s eyes flickered between her wolf amber and human pale brown, Hermione let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.

“Having said that however, I’m also not in a position where I can allow you or Lavender free reign to dominate me. But!”

She rushed on, interrupting Lavender’s thought process as the werewolf bared her teeth at the implied challenge.

“That doesn’t mean I’m threatening your position, here or otherwise. I can’t even begin to process what you’ve been through, Lavender, but I can understand -even if it’s just a little bit- why you don’t trust me, why you keep fighting, why you’d use your Wolf to keep yourself safe. I’m not here to force you to back down or to make you obey me. I know it’s hard, when everything is different, but I’m honestly, hand on heart, here to help and protect you. That doesn’t mean I’m looking down on you or regard you as inferior. It just means I’m here, I have your back. You’re not alone.”

“ _And what about Him behind Me?”_

“I can’t speak for Draco, or his Wolf – I don’t have that right. But I consider _them_ both my partner, and I consider myself _their_ partner as well. We don’t tussle over dominance but rather work together, and I have the ultimate respect for Draco as both a lycanthrope and my equal. I believe, absolutely, that he has my back and I will always fight to protect him. When it comes to lycanthropic matters, however.. I leave that 100% to you both. I trust him and _him_ , and I’d like to be able to trust _you_ and Lavender.”

The female werewolf kept _her_ amber eyes steady on the witch in front of her, and _she_ chewed onto their chapped lips, pondering over the current conversation.

_The Witch seems sincere, Sister mine._ I don’t want to hear this! _Listen! The Male behind me, He doesn’t seem to disagree with her words._ So what? _Maybe it is possible. That they can be trusted. With Us._ I don’t trust them. No thanks. _I will continue to watch Thems then. But there’s a chance now.._

“ _He will always fight Us. His nature is such.”_

Draco let out a huff of annoyance, but his facial expression wavered in surprise when an intimately familiar raspy intonation came out alongside his growl. His _wolf_ apologised a whisper through his mind even as _he_ pushed _his_ voice outside.

“ _She-Wolf fights Us too. That is the way We work in Our world. We are not in a Pack. Me and You, We will deal with Us in time. I will not bow down to You, because You have not shown worthy of Our respect. I have won against You, so it is Your business to deal or fight. I, and My Draco, We understand and We are ready for that. But that is Our business. It is separate from what Miss tells you. Miss is not my Alpha. But I am not Hers either. Miss is human, and worked very hard with Us to understand Us. I will kill to keep Miss protected, and Miss fights to keep Me and My Draco safe. So We will not permit You harm Miss. That is all I need to say.”_

The male werewolf gave a light nip against the side throat of the female they held, ignoring the grumble of dissatisfaction it initiated, and maintained eye contact with the witch _he_ respected before _he_ retreated _his_ awareness back inside Draco. His eyes flashed amber momentarily in response, and he chuffed out a breath. Realising he was still looking at Hermione, seeing her lips curve into a gentle smile just for him, Draco averted his eyes in discomfort.

“Thank you for the endorsement, Malfoy. If it’s okay, I’ll just refresh the water and we can continue with the bath – I’ll make sure to avoid the bite, if you make sure you keep it clean. I won’t push you on what we’ve talked about, but it would be good to think about it when you can. Okay, Lavender?”

“ _.. Sister does not like You. I am unsure. I do not like Him behind Us. My Precious does not either. But I say the Witch can continue bathing Us. Do not touch there. Okay."_

“That works for me if it works for you, Lavender.”

“Fuck off.”

* * *

Despite the colourful response from Lavender, Hermione still considered the experience a success – even after the girl slipped away again and her Wolf returned to the forefront, the witch had managed to get Lavender’s body clean and succeeded in de-knotting her tangled hair. She knew she was pushing it by the time she was adding shampoo throughout Lavender’s hair, and she’d managed to rinse the suds out just in time for the girl to surface and begin to lash out at her. Understanding the sensory overload, Hermione had leaned back and indicated for Draco to release the other girl, letting her flee towards her quarters- only moving herself once Lavender stepped through the privacy curtains to reach for her wand, casting the usual spells to keep the werewolf within.

Turning towards Draco as the bathwater began to slosh again, Hermione lightly wrapped her fingers around his bicep as he started to leave, forcing him to stop. After a moment’s hesitation, Draco sat back down in the tub and averted his eyes once again away from the witch. After murmuring another spell to refresh the bath water and maintain its heat, Hermione scooched forward closer to the male and spoke quietly, gently.

“You okay?”

“Ngh.”

“I didn’t know that _he_ could do that. _He'd_ never shown any signs before, right?”

“No.”

“Are you okay though? Malfoy?”

Draco groaned, cupping a handful of water and rubbing it over his face roughly. He only stopped when he felt the witch’s hands covering his, stilling the motion, and his voice was low as he spoke through his fingers.

“It made me.. uncomfortable. _We_ have an agreement - _he_ doesn’t come out unless I need _him_. It’s mutual with _us_ , but _he_ came out just for that.”

“I get it, Malfoy. It’s awkward too, right?”

“Hmmm.”

“We’ve never talked about, you know, us or this. Our partnership. But.. Draco, I need you to look at me. Please.”

Hermione gently tugged at Draco’s hands until he caved in, exposing his scowling face, his eyes finally meeting hers.

“There’s no way I can say this without you getting more uncomfortable, but I need you to understand. So I’m just going to say it directly. Tonight, with what _he_ said, it made me realise I really appreciate you both. For being there when I need you, both of you, and keeping me safe. I trust you completely with my life, no hesitation whatsoever. And I meant what I said before. I’ve always got your back. Always, okay.”

Draco stared at the brunette witch, the scowl on his face deepening when she chuckled, rubbing her palms over his upper arms. Taking sympathy on his obvious discomfort, Hermione turned away slightly and changed the subject.

“I’ll start dinner for us soon, the usual. But to make up for tonight, I’ll throw in some sausages too. Like a reward.”

“.. Okay. Sounds good.”

As Hermione stood to step out the bathtub, she paused when Draco stood alongside her, his slim fingers crooking around her wrist. Raising her eyebrow in query, she smiled as the blonde male rubbed his thumb softly against her pulse.

“I trust you with my life as well, Hermione. With _ours_.”

“I know. Thank you.”

* * *


End file.
